I can feel the wind's chilly breath gushing on my face. His hands ensure my eyes are covered, which makes it difficult to manoeuvre around the street.

"Don't peek." He reiterates for the fifth time while we walk slowly somewhere in Cologne.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

I feel his hot breath whispering in my ear. "Here."

He takes his hands apart to unveil my eyes. I flutter them open to see we stand in a bar, filled with my newfound friends contemplating me and celebrating my presence. I stand aghast at the unexpected turn of events. This morning I was in bed screaming into my pillowcase, and now, mere hours later, I am surrounded by familiar faces and him.

"You organised this?" I ask.

Before he can speak, I'm flooded with warm bodies embracing me to wish a happy birthday. 

Emily gives me a long hug. "Happy birthday. I can't believe you kept it a secret. I want to kill you."

I shrug at the comment. "Yeah, I'm sorry. To be honest, no one knew about this."

Emily smiles at my nonchalance commentary to my birthday party. "Can you believe what Daniel did here? All in a couple of days! I can't even imagine how much he paid to block the this place at the eleventh hour. And it all looks so beautiful!"

I was suddenly awakened from my brain's slumber.

"Wait. What do you mean?" I ask.

Emily tilts her head, slightly surprised by my ignorance. "Daniel called Gunther and asked for our help early this morning. We have been running around preparing all of this. He had specific instructions and kept saying to Gunther that money was not an issue."

I look around and see a karaoke machine by the stage being set up. Along with everyone in our office. Emily and Gunther. And Jonas and his boyfriend.

Marie approaches me. "Hello there."

"You have other plans?" I ask her with a hint of irony in my voice.

She shrugs in response with Marie's signature smirk. "We even got the karaoke for you."

"Yes, I can see that. Does this mean we are going to be belting some tunes together?"

"If we must..." Marie rolls her eyes, faking annoyance at my request. "But, good songs only!"

"You can select them. Promise!" I laugh while picking up a glass of white wine that Emily hands me. "Have you two met?"

The two girls smile and exchange glances. "You didn't really think I could pull this off just with Gunther. Daniel's idea of sending Marie with the karaoke machine was a godsend. Gunther is pretty useless, although a god in bed."

Both Marie and I give a disgusted groan at Emily's description. And then it hits me.

"You told him about my birthday?" I ask Marie.

She nods. "And he came running from Berlin the moment I told him about your idiotic plan to spend your birthday alone. Just like I predicted..." she says enigmatically.

My eyes scan for him. I spot him laughing at some joke that Markus did. My heart stops. My chest clenches. His words back in Munich hit me. Not Ada...

"I need some air."

"Are you okay?" Emily asks.

"I'll be fine. Just need some air." I say and hand my glass back to Marie before leaving the pub abruptly.

Once outside, the cold air brushes my face harshly and I feel droplets of rain falling on my face. I take deep breaths at my sudden realisation.

"Are you okay?" His voice makes my heart flutter once again.

I don't turn to him. "Fine. Just needed some air."

"Bullshit." He goes around me so he can stare into my eyes. "Is it Harry?"

"Harry? No, it's not Harry." I haven't even thought of Harry since this morning. Since you called me.

"Then what?" His face shows concern and a slight hint of frustration.

I mean, he did just pulled a birthday party out of a magician's hat for me. I gaze into his eyes, trying to find a meaning to his gesture, while avoiding saying the words.

"Emily told me you planned this whole affair at the last minute. Why?"

"Why not?" he responds.

I give him my best sarcastic look.

He sighs and rubs his hair to clear the now thick drops of rain falling on both of us. "Because no one deserves to be alone on their birthday. Because your friends didn't know about it and because I wanted to celebrate this day with you."

I scan his eyes for some veritas that he hasn't disclosed. A truth I'm not sure I want disclosed. 

"Is that it?"

He gives me a crooked smile while avoiding looking at me. He stares at the pub sign intently. "Yeah, what else can it be?" He lowers his gaze towards the floor while stealing a fleeting glance at me.

"You were in Berlin for so long and Marie is now telling me you came back for my birthday..."

He looks away momentarily. "Marie..." he whispers through clenched teeth before looking back at me. "I was on my way back as it is..."

"So you didn't come back for my birthday?" I insist.

Daniel looks inside the pub, avoiding prolonged eye contact with me. "Nat...."

"Where's Ada?" I interrupt him.

His face turns sour at the mention. "In Berlin."

"Why are you back?" I peer into his soul with my unwavering gaze, forcing him to disclose his motives.

"Because I wanted to celebrate your birthday." He finally blurts out.

My heart stops once again. This time around, my eyes flutter towards a streetlight that casts light to the intense rainfall dropping on us.

"Why?" I mutter.

Daniel paces and shifts his weight uncomfortably. "What is this? 21 questions? Can't I just do something nice for my friend?"

I stare at him. Immobilised while my brain races. "Sure. I just thought..."

"You thought what?" he enquires.

"I guess..." I shake my head. "Never mind. Let's go back to the party." I turn my back to him.

"Nat!" he turns me back around and grabs my arm softly. "Finish the sentence."

"I don't want to..." I respond. My mind thinks of the last few weeks. My again on-off relationship with Harry. His ongoing long-term commitment to Ada. Anything I can say will ruin our friendship forever. One way or the other. "Because if it is, then we can't. Even if we want to. We can't. But if it isn't, then we never will. Even if I want to. We won't. But, in any scenario, things will never be the same." I raise my eyes to face his crystal blue pearls. "And I can't bear the thought of not having you in my life..."

He smiles softly. "How can you make so much sense, even when you make no sense at all?"

We both know that opening each to each other carries more risk than reward. Yet, my heart yearns for the gamble.

Our eyes are in a staring contest. The heavy drops of rain fall, but our bodies don't flinch. His right hand drags down towards my cold hands. His slim fingers intertwine with my left hand while his left hand moves to cup my face. He traces my features. My cheeks, my nose, the curvature of my lips. For a moment, I'm his and he is mine.

"Daniel! Natalie!" Gunther calls out our name and the trance we both are in is broken.

"Coming!" he says without lifting his unwavering eyes. "Happy birthday." He places a gentle kiss on my forehead and walks back inside the pub. And, in that moment, we are turning a new page in this confusing new chapter.

As we enter the pub, a familiar face beams across the room.

"Harry?" I stand astounded.

I glance at Daniel, and his face discloses an untamed anger.

Harry runs towards me and envelopes me in a hug. "Happy birthday, babe."

My eyes flutter to Daniel, that has stomped away towards the bar. Harry takes my face in his hands and plants a forceful kiss upon my lips. I kiss him back. The familiarity of his lips still resembles home.

But my mind still races with the encounter of moments before and the endless possibilities of what could and should never happen. My eyes flutter open and gaze away from the man that stands across from me, to the one with his back turned away, that grabs a drink.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. "How did you even know where to find me?"

Harry smiles. "I asked your mom, that asked some of your friends here and they told me they were organising this party for you..."

My eyes glance around the room. Marie looks as confused as me and shrugs, understanding immediately what I asked her in the silence of my thoughts. I scour for any signs of who could have possibly given Harry details of the party and then I find her... Emily looks at me but doesn't beam as she always does... she looks the opposite. Guilty as charged.

"Why are you wet?" Harry distracts me from my thoughts.

"I was outside..." I respond absent-mindedly. My eyes are looking for the one person I want to see. I find him scrutinising me from afar while drowning himself in a Maß.

"I'll get us some drinks and you can introduce me to everyone?" Harry asks and I nod softly.

Marie interrupts my stupor by pulling me to a table. "What the fuck is happening?"

"Harry is here..." I respond weakly.

"I know that. But what the fuck is he doing here? This is not what was meant to happen..."

I shake my head. Not what was meant to happen? 

"What do you mean...?"

"I'm soooo sorry." Emily approaches us.

"It's okay." I respond but quickly am cut off by Marie.

"You are the responsible for this?" She says irritably. "After everything we talked about this afternoon?"

I'm feeling the 'I'm sorry' was not mean to me. 

"What you talked about?" I ask.

"I know. But, he said, most likely he wouldn't be able to come. And, it was before..." Emily steals a glance at me for the first time since this conversation started. "You know..."

"Okay, can you guys talk to me? This is ridiculous!" I raise my voice.

Marie huffs and steals a glance at Harry that has introduced himself to Lukas. Great!

"Go entertain the idiot. And, keep him away from..." she nods towards Daniel, that is now surrounded by Gunther and Jonas.

What the hell is happening?

Marie gives me a sympathetic look. "Sit down. We need to talk."

I sit down at a table, more confused than before. Marie sits next to me and blocks my view of Daniel on purpose. "I need your focus on me." She takes one of her cigarettes and lights it up. "Are you in love with Daniel?"

Her question takes me aback. "What?" I ask hesitantly.

"I didn't stutter." She says and inhales her first puff.

A dark-haired woman approaches our table. "Rauchen ist hier verboten." (Smoking is not allowed)

Marie exhales the puff from her lungs and puts the cigarette out while wafting the woman away. "Ja, ja." Marie comes closer and looks at me closely. "You know why I was so mean to you when I met you?"

I sigh. "I always wondered that... and I guess you're going to tell me on my birthday..."

Marie smirks.

"Because I'm a foreigner?" I ask and start playing with a coaster on the table.

Marie rolls her eyes with my response and twirls her lighter on the table. "No, I'm always mean to all foreigners, or visitors really. That's just me." She sighs. "Because I saw how he looked at you. And I guess I was jealous that he never looked at me that way."

"I don't understand... Who?" my heart speeds up. Does she mean...?

"I've known Daniel all my life. And, don't understand this as a love confession for Daniel. It's not. But he was my brother's best friend and my childhood crush. For years, I've admired him from afar and saw his relationship with Ada. We all know that relationship burned faster than a candle... anyway, the day that Natalie Potter..."

I huff, frustrated, and Marie smirks at the mention.

"When I announced you to him, at the reception, when you were waiting for Lukas... I saw how he looked at you. I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you." She twirls the lighter once more on the table. "I don't know you as well as I know him. So, I'll ask you again. Are you in love with Daniel?"

My mouth dries. Am I in love with Daniel? That is the question I've been actively trying to avoid for the last few weeks.

"Can I steal her for a moment?"

That voice interrupts my clouded thoughts. I look up and see a smiling Harry requesting my hand. I glance at Marie that sits back with her arms crossed. She looks pissed off. I take Harry's hand and allow him to guide me towards a small corner of the pub. I look around and see Daniel's furious glare. Gunther pats him on the back as if consoling him.

"I have a little present for you." Harry tells me once we are out of anyone's privy glares or ears. He removes a blue box that has a small pink bow around it. He hands it to me.

"You shouldn't have..." I reply.

"I wanted to. Tell me what you think." He insists with a smile.

I open the box slowly and find a rose gold Cartier watch with encrusted diamonds. Something that looks like it costs a fortune. Probably more than my mom's annual salary.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

"It's beautiful..." I say out of politeness.

Harry takes the watch and puts it on my right wrist and holds it. My wrist feels heavy. The timekeeper feels like a cuff that is sealing my fate.

"Do you like it, baby?" Harry repeats.

I look up at him and the emotion of receiving this expensive object pales compared to my portrait. And, suddenly it's clear as the ocean.

I remove the watch and put it back in the box and give it back to Harry. His face transforms.

"You shouldn't have come here. And we shouldn't be together. I'm sorry you have."

"What? Babe, I thought we were past our fight..."

"It's so much more than a fight..."

"Let's talk about this." Harry insists. "If this is about my family, I'll introduce you to them. I'll shout to the world..."

I look up and see Daniel leaving the pub. My heart races. Where is he going? He can't leave.

"It's not about your family..." I blurt out. Is he leaving?

"Then what is it?"

My thoughts have already left Harry once again.

"Huh?" I respond.

"What the hell is it?"

"We can discuss this later. If you want to stay and drink... please do. But right now I need to go."

"Go where?" He asks angrily.

"Out." I respond and make my way out of the pub in search of the one my heart yearns for.